The present invention relates generally to an absorbent article for absorbing bodily fluids.
Absorbent personal care articles intended to absorb discharged bodily fluids (i.e., exudates) are well known in the art. Such absorbent articles generally comprise a fibrous mass or other absorbent core which can absorb and hold body fluids. Similarly, it is well known that feminine care articles have been employed to absorb and hold liquids, such as urine and/or menses. A typical structure of an absorbent article includes a fluid impermeable back sheet, a fluid permeable top sheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the back sheet and the top sheet. In these absorbent personal care articles, the top sheet defines the body-facing side of the absorbent article and the back sheet defines the garment-facing side of the absorbent article. Prior absorbent articles have also included various other features to improve fluid handling, such as intake layers, distribution layers, retention layers, and the like.
Generally, the absorbent articles are held in place on a wearer's waist using elastic materials and fasteners in the waist portion of the absorbent product in the case of pant-like garments such as diapers and training pants, or by attaching the absorbent article to a crotch portion of the underwear or undergarment of a wearer in the case of pads or liners. Current methods of attaching the absorbent article to the underwear or undergarment of a wearer include placing an adhesive on the garment-facing side of the back sheet, having optional flaps (i.e., wings) that extend from the longitudinal sides of the absorbent article which wrap around the crotch portion of the underwear or undergarment of the wearer, and a combination of the adhesive and the flaps.
It has also been suggested to use an adhesive to adhere the absorbent article to the skin of the wearer. However, the design of such absorbent articles was essentially the same as the absorbent articles being attached to the underwear or undergarment of the wearer. That is, the adhesive is applied to the body-facing surface of the top sheet for attaching the article to the skin of the wearer. Alternatively, in another design, a portion of the back sheet was wrapped around and over the top sheet to partially define a body facing surface to which adhesive is applied for attaching the article to the wearer's skin. While these designs are effective for adhering the absorbent article to the skin of a wearer, they are not comfortable for the wearer because the shape and size of the absorbent articles are the same as those absorbent articles which are traditionally attached to the undergarment or underwear of the wearer.
Absorbent articles that are attached to the underwear or undergarment of a wearer can also be uncomfortable for the wearer. During normal movement of the body, portions of the body place opposed forces on the undergarment, which may cause the undergarment to become bunched or twisted. When this occurs, the absorbent article attached to the underwear or undergarment may also become bunched or twisted causing discomfort to the wearer of the absorbent article. For example, the presence and absence of pressure from the absorbent article on the inner thighs as the wearer moves, which is often described by wearers as feeling “like a diaper”, is one source that compromises comfort for wearers of conventional absorbent articles, including liners, ultra-thin absorbent pads, and maxi pads. In addition, the movement of the wearer or deformation of the underwear while being worn may also cause the absorbent article to have a poor fit against the body of the wearer, which can result in leaks from the absorbent article.
Another disadvantage of conventional absorbent articles is that the silhouette or outline of the absorbent article may be visible to others through the clothing of the wearer. Even currently available ultra-thin absorbent articles may be visible through tight fitting outer clothing of a wearer. Therefore, conventional absorbent personal care articles do not always provide discretion for wearers.
Moreover, conventional feminine care absorbent articles (e.g., panty liners, ultra-thin absorbent pads, maxi pads) do not provide a suitable anatomic fit for most female wearers. Instead, typical conventional feminine care absorbent articles have a generally flat body-facing surface. However, the female vaginal region is not flat but rather complex. In use, the generally flat body-facing surface of conventional feminine care absorbent articles does not contour well with respect to the complex female vaginal region. As a result, gaps are often formed between the article and vaginal region. These gaps allow the article to move relative to the wearer and provide passages through which body fluids can leak.
There is therefore a need in the art to provide wearers of absorbent articles with a discrete absorbent product that is as easy to use, comfortable to wear, and inhibits leakage from the absorbent article.